Feed-water h eater and condenser



J. P.-STONE. FEED WATER HEATER AND CONDENSER.

(No Model.)

Patented June 20, 1893.-

frwerdor; John/ 1. Siam Wtirwses 4 9? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN P. STONE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FEED-WATER HEATER AND CONDENSER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 499,946, dated June 20, 1893.

Application filed June 11, 1892. Serial No. 436,317. (No model.)

, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Feed -Water Heaters and Condensers, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and effective form of feed water heater and condenser whereby the supply of feed water is raised to a very high tempera ture before being admit-ted to the boiler and the oily and other light or floating impurities are driven off and the heavy impurities separated from the feed water before the latter passes to the boiler, the whole or part of the exhaust steam of'an engine or pump being also condensed in the heater ifdesired.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1, is a longitudinal section of a feed water heater and condenser constructed in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 2, is a sectional plan view on the line 1-2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3, is a sectional plan View on the line 34, Fig. 1 and Fig. 4., is a detached view of one of the parts of the device.

. A represents the exhaust pipe leading from an engine, pump, or other motor in which steam is used, and A is the usual pipe leading to the atmosphere. From the base of this pipe A extends a branch pipe B which communicates with the outer end of a neck or elbow a at the base of the heater casing, said elbow being downwardly bent at its inner end so as to discharge the steam downward toward the bottom of the heater on entering the same.

The pipe A may, in some cases, instead of discharging into the atmosphere, serve as a supply pipe for steam coils or other heating devices, in which case the pipe B will communicate with the return pipe from such heating devices, or said return pipe may communicate directly with the branch or neck a at the base of the heater.

In cases where it is desired to use live steam in place of or in addition to the eX- haust steam, the pipe B is preferably provided with an inclined branch B which will direct the live steam toward the heater.

The casing of the heater consists in the present instance, of the lower section D having the bent elbow a, an intermediate section D and a main section D a coupling 1) uniting said sections D and D which are of slightly different diameter. This'construction is adopted for convenience in enabling me to employ ordinary wrought iron pipes and fittings in constructing the heater, and while such construction is preferable on account of such convenience and economy, my

, invention is not limited thereto, since it is evident that the heater might, without affecting its operation, have a single casing instead of the composite casing which I have shown and described. The upper section D of the casing is closed at the top by a cap at which is provided with one or more pipes f each containing a check valve f, these check valves being so constructed as to open outward (see Fig. 4.) and through the cap 01 passes the feed water supply pipe F which extends downward within a tube G contained within the casing D and somewhat less in diameter than'said casing, this tube G being closed at the bottom but provided at the top with an outwardly and downwardly bent flange g, and being rigidly supported in position within the casing D by means of radial screws or bolts 1'. Passing through the closed bottom of the tube G is a pipe m which has two branches m passing through the casing D and provided with valves m The bottom of the lower section D of the heater is provided with a cap n from which projects downwardly a valved pipe n, the latter terminating, within a tank J, in'a lateral bend or elbow n directly above a paddle wheel 10 which is free to turn on a central rod or shaft 19 contained in said tank and is at the same vertical level as an overflow pipe 8 leading from the tank, this pipe having around the front side of its mouth a flaring flange s.

The outlet from the tank J is preferably located at some little distance above the bottom of the tank as shown in Fig. 1.

The operation of the heater is as follows: The feed water from the pipe F enters the tube G close to the bottom of the same, rises in said tube and is discharged over the flange at the top of the same in a thin sheet, which falls through the annular space between the said tube G and the outer casing D At each stroke of the engine a'c'ertainvolume of the exhaust steam enters the lower section of the heater and then rises upward therein and passes into or through the annular space between the tube G and casing D thus heating the tube G and the water contained therein and also coming into intimate contact with the annular sheet. of water falling from the flanged top of said tube. Any air which may be contained in the heater when the operation is first started is forced out through the check valve or valves at the top of the casing so that the latter becomes entirely filled with steam at each stroke of the engine, a comparatively high degree of vacuum being, in fact, maintained in the heater owing to the rapid and thorough condensation of the steam therein so that the heater, instead of causing back pressure upon the piston of the engine or pump, assists the exhaust by reason of the partial vacuum above alluded to. Where the maintenance of this partial vacuum is not important, the casing D might be open at the top. In all cases however, there is a free flow of the steam through or in the casing D so that a large volume of steam is brought under the condensing influence of the tube G, and of the streams of water descending between the said tube and the casing D no water accumulating in the lowerportion of said casing, to check the free inlet of steam thereto. The heated feed water and condensed steam pass from the bottom of the heater through the valved pipe it into the tank J, and in escaping from the bent lower end of said pipe the stream of water impinges upon the blades of the paddle wheel or disk 10 and thus causes aconstant rotation of the same which has the eflfect of driving out through the overflow pipe 8 the oily and other impurities which collect as a scum upon the top of the water contained in the tank J, these impurities being thereby prevented from passing into the boiler and causing foaming or incrustation of the same. The flange in front of the mouth of the pipe s serves tov direct into said pipe the impurities thrown against it by the rotating paddle wheel 19. Heavy impurities which may be in the feed Water settle in the bottom of the tank J below the mouth of the discharge pipe t. Hence the water passing to the boiler is not only in a highly heated condition, but it is, in a measure, freed from scale-forming impurities.

When the device is used as a condenser, the pipe t may be placed in communication with a suitable exhaust pump.

The tube G may at anytime be drained or cleared of sediment by opening either of the cocks at in the pipes m.

By imparting a downward bend to the steam supply neck a, at the bottom of the heater I cause the steam to first seek thelow-' est point in saidheater and then rise therethrough at a rate of speed dependent upon its natural tendency to rise, or upon the de-' ter discharged into the tank J. The heater,

moreover, is of extremely simple and economicalconstruction, is very compact, considering its capacity, and contains no parts requiring adjustment or which are liable to get out of order in use.

The pipe F might, in some cases, communicate directly with the lower end of the tube G, as shown for instance by dotted lines, but the depending pipe is preferred, because it represents an additional amount of heating surface.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination of the outer casing closed at the top but provided with one or more check valves opening outwardly, the deep internal tuba-the feed water supply pipe communicating with the lower portion of said tube, an outlet pipe whereby the water is prevented from accumulating in the casing and the steam supply pipe communiwhereby the entering volume of steam is directed toward the bottom of the casing before being permitted toascend, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of the outer casing, the steam inlet communicating with the lower portion of the same, the internal tube within said casing, the feed water supply pipe communicating with the lower portion of said tube, and a valved drainage or blowoflf pipe communicating with the bottom of the tube, substantially as specified.

4.. The combination of the heater having the steam and water inlets, and an outlet for the heated water, a tank into which the heater discharges, an overflow pipe leading from said tank, and a paddle wheel located at the overflow level, and receiving the discharge from the hot water pipe so as to be moved thereby and direct the scum and floating impurities toward the-overflow pipe, substantially as specified.

5. The combination of the heater, the tank receiving the discharge therefrom, and having an overflow pipe with flange in advance of its mouth, and the paddle wheel rotated by the incoming stream of hot water, and serving to direct the floating impurities toward said flange, substantially'as specified.-

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

v JOHN P. STONE.-

Witnesses:

FRANK E. BECHTOLD, HARRY SMITH. 

